Kashima coating for your bike’s fork tubes and rear shocks

Mountain bike and motorcycle lovers are always looking for the best coating for their bikes to improve their performance. Kashima coating provides that searched-for thing: it combines all the qualities and characteristics you most desire for fitting out the bike you love, with a beautiful golden glow. So, what is Kashima coating?

Kashima is a hard but lubricating anodised coating which is resistant to abrasion and therefore, more durable than traditional coatings for forks and shocks.

You might look and the cost and wonder if it is worth it. Maybe gold isn’t really your aesthetic. But Kashima coating is so much more than just a pretty colour.

5 reasons to go for FOX Kashima coating

To understand why everybody is talking about Kashima coating, you need go no further than to look at its benefits. Applying Kashima coating to your fork tubes or shocks will give you:

Increased hardness and extreme durability

A smooth, golden surface which decreases friction and gives high abrasion/wear resistance

Outstanding corrosion resistance, even in salty conditions

Shock insulation and reduced heat build up

Less need for servicing, as the ‘dry lubrication’ reduces maintenance

Titanium Nitride was once the top dog in the suspension coatings realm but then Diamond-Like Coating came along, even more frictionless, and now we have Kashima. The secret to Kashima’s success is the hard anodising process and the ‘dry lubrication’ effect of molybdenum disulphide.

What is Kashima coating? The technology behind it

The process of sealing the anodised layer of a Kashima coat

Kashima coating is a treatment developed by the Miyaki Company of Japan. The treatment protects your fork or stanchion against damage or corrosion through a process called anodisation. When aluminium is anodised, an electric current is passed through a solution, using the metal as the negative electrode. As the current passes through it, oxygen from the solution forms a coating over the aluminium. The deeper this coating, the ‘harder’ the anodisation.

The process is finished by sealing and lubricating the deep anodised coating with molybdenum disulphide (as shown in the image, right). This also gives the Kashima coat its distinctive golden colouring.

If the science is too much, don’t worry; all you really need to know is that the special hard anodising process used for Kashima coat is what gives it the durable, smooth, corrosion-free, and beautiful ride you are after.

Kashima coating has better lubrication and corrosion resistance compared to other common types of coating such as Teflon, graphite, and tungsten disulphide.

Is Kashima coating worth it?

According to experts, Kashima coat is the best you can get for your bike. However, at the end it’s all about your own experience, as any trip to a MTB forum will show you.

Kashima coating has a distinctive golden colour.

Kashima coating is the best currently available coating for fork tubes and shock bodies. Especially when maximum performance of a bicycle or motorcycle is required.

For the occasional Sunday rider, Kashima coating may not be worth the cost. For the hardcore rider, there is simply no better treatment for your fork uppers or shock body. Kashima coating can now be found on transfer posts (probably not worth it, but certainly attractive) and its popularity no doubt means it will be applied to more and more bike components.

All we can say is a Kashima coat on your fork uppers or shock body will make a difference, especially if you ride in harsh weather or road conditions. It is also a good option to extend periods between full services, which may make up for the initial expense.

Kashima coating cost

Kashima is the most expensive option for your bike. The high price is a result of limited availability and the quality of the end product. And quality does not come cheap.

However, Kashima coating is also less likely to wear, tear or need replacing than the alternatives, and it requires less maintenance overall, so the result may be cheaper than other coatings. The following table outlines a variety of Kashima coating costs:

Service/ product

Price (RRP)

Kashima coated fork crown steerer

£200

Transfer post with Kashima coat

£250

2018 suspension float with Kashima

£479

Strut body shock with Kashima

£589

2018 Kashima coated air shock

£699

2017 27.7″ bike fork with Kashima uppers

£795

Kashima coating service and distributors in the UK

If you choose to invest in Kashima coating, there is only one company in the bike industry that uses it: FOX. Within the UK the distributor for FOX products is Mojo Suspension. In the UK the following companies provide Kashima products and services.

hello
I have an old factory superbike fork , a WP RCMA 5000.
can you please tell me if you can recoat 9kashima , DLC or ti nitride )the stanchions or the fork inner tubes and service the thing ( seals and bushing) ?
thank you very much

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